Friday, July 3, 2015

Ancient Sanurais’ Dreams: Kozukue-johshi Citizen Forest 小机城址市民の森

夏草や兵どもが夢の跡（なつくさやつわものどもがゆめのあと）

Natsu-kusa ya / tsuwamono-domo ga / yume no ato

The
summer grass-
It is all that's left
of ancient warriors dreams

Matsuo
Bajoh 松尾芭蕉

JR
Yokohama Line Kozukue Station小机駅is the nearest station for NissanYokohama Stadium, the home for Yokohama Marinos FC, and the place where the
championship match was held for 2002 FIFA World Cup. Not far from the Stadium,
there is another old battle ground, Kozukue-johshi小机城址that is now a Yokohama Citizen
Forest.When
we leave the station, we find a large notice board for Nissan Stadium. Opposite
to this board, take a small road to the west along the railway. After observing
a railroad crossing on the left, go ahead a way to a half-residential / half-agricultural
area. Soon, you will find a familiar map
board for the Citizen Forest system, for Kozukue Forest, in a residential area,
not in the forest. It means the place is loved by the locals. Actually, every
April, they have a festival to celebrate the history of the Forest. (The photos
of Festival Parade 2015 are here.) After finding the Map, keep going to the
flyover of Daisan-keihin Toll Road 第三京浜that in1965 divided the
original Kozukue Forest in half. Turn right before the under-flyover.
Eventually, we are welcomed by the Forest. (Map here and here.) Right after
entering into the forest, there is a toilet and a potable water faucet for
Kozukue Forest.

Near
the railroad crossing

When
I’ve been there, on the right from the station was a field for green onions.

The
map of the Forest, already shown in the residential area,

and a
sign post for the Forest.

The
Forest over there

Toilet

Once
upon a time, Japan was divided by numerous warlords. Sometime in early 15th
century, a chieftain (we do not know exactly who) found the area near current
Nissan Stadium strategically important, and built a fortress that later became
a castle called Kozukue. Then in 1478, there was a battle for the domination of
the area among warlords one of whom was the first unifying conqueror of Edo
(i.e. Tokyo) area, Ohta Dohkan 太田道灌. His soldiers massacred the
samurais who were besieged in Kozukue Caslte, and made the nearby rice paddy a
blood bath. (The place is now called Akata Yato 赤田谷戸, i.e. Red Rice Paddy.) Later
in the middle of the 16th century, another warlord rebuilt the castle to
strengthen the line of defense for their master (Gohohjoh clan 後北条) in Odawara Castle 小田原城. When
in 1590 Odawara Castle was taken by Toyotomi Hideyoshi 豊臣秀吉, and Tokugawa Ieyasu 徳川家康made
Edo and surrounding area (Yokohama inclusive) his home, Kozukue Castle was
demolished for good. (The history of the area, in Japanese, is explained in
this Wiki.) So this Citizen Forest is the remains of a medieval castle for war.

More
flashy sort of Japanese castles preserved now (e.g., Odawara Castle) are the
architecture constructed after the 17th century. Ieyasu was the champion of
warlords so that he and his descendants never allowed the other families to
build anything suitable for a battle of medieval kind. The castles permitted to
exist after 1600 still keeps mort and other functions for war, but they are more
appropriate for offices where samurais commuted daily to govern their
territory. Kozukue Castle was different. The entire Forest is one of the best
kept remains for the structure of medieval war castle in Japan.

Dry
mort

ditto

When
you walk inside Kozukue Forest, you know why the Castle was ordered to be
demolished by the ultimate warlord. In a rather limited area (4.6 ha), the
ground was like a maze. According to the educational board in Honmaru Hiroba
(The Inner Citadel Open Space本丸広場), the 15th century warlords
first situated defense structures according to war-games they mentally played
based on the geography of surrounding area; the north of the castle is Tsurumi
River 鶴見川, and the south is small but steep hills. They then dug deep / piled-up
high the ground to construct the system of dry mort (which is more difficult to
cross than the watery kind) and lookouts. The road (about 1 km in total) within
the Forest is to connect each facility in an efficient manner, but not to allow
outsiders to navigate easily. There are 4 entrances, 3 of which face to the
hilly, i.e. allied (the direction to Odawara Castle), side.

To the
Inner Citadel

The
remains of lookout.The base is stone with holes for wooden pillars.

The
Inner Citadel entrance.All the roads within the Forest repeat steep up and
down.

The
way connecting the Inner Citadeland Ninomaru (the Outer Citadel 二の丸).

I
don’t know if the vegetation of the Forest was strategically chosen for war.
The outer layer of the forest is broad leaf trees, and inside especially along
the road linking the facilities is beautiful bamboos. The bamboo part is tended
by Japan Bamboo Fun Club ( 日本竹ファンクラブfor volunteering information
with them, click here) who, I think, do a wonderful job to keep the atmosphere
of ancient war castle. The mort is mainly with broad leaf trees. Both Inner and
Outer Citadel Open spaces have picnic benches.

Honmaru Hiroba

Ninomaru Hiroba

To go
to the divided part of the remains, we first have to return to the residential
area, cross the Daisan Keihin under the flyover, then turn right immediately.
Ahead is another side of the Forest. This part has only one road along the
Daisan Keihin (; a road in the map to the other way was impassable as of June
2015). This is the road which permits us to go to the river (i.e. enemy) side
of the Forest. It would have been like this for 500 years …

The
another sign for the Forest

The
steps leading to the remaining part of the Forest

Beyond
the fence is the Freeway.

If you
like, from the river side exit, we can go to the pedestrian bank of Tsurumi
River where cherry blossoms are heavenly in early spring. The nearest bridge to
cross Tsurumi River from here is the bridge leading us to IKEA. Before IKEA,
there is a dim-sum factory of Kiyoken 崎陽軒 on the right. They are making
pork dumplings for Train Station Lunches (“Ekiben” 駅弁) of Yokohama Station. Their
daily output of lunches is more than 20,000 units which makes them the most
popular Station Lunch in Japan. The
plant tour of this factory is always fully-booked for 3 months (for
reservation, click here for phone number). This factory has a small kiosk where
we can enjoy freshly made pork dumplings between 10:00-16:00.

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About Me

My
family moved to Yokohama from Tokyo before I became 3 years old. Since then,
Yokohama is my home town. (Though, I cannot be Hamakko since I was born in Tokyo ... Hey, this is Japan!) I have watched my playground is changing always. I
hope you find Yokohama interesting place. With love, Naomi